Cinderella Stories: Stanley Cup Playoffs

Florida Panthers (1996)

In their third season in the NHL, the Panthers spent most of the season in first place in the Eastern Conference. Despite a late-season collapse, they still managed to earn the fourth seed in the East. Universally predicted to lose their first ever playoff series, the Panthers surprised everyone by beating the Bruins. They then knocked off the favored Philadelphia Flyers in six and Pittsburgh Penguins in seven. The Colorado Avalanche put an end to the Panthers magic by sweeping them in four straight games. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

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If the Puck FitsBy Cassidy Taylor, Xfinity Sports The L.A. Kings have made history in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs. Not only are they the first team to go undefeated on the road in the first three rounds, but they are also the first No. 8 seed to beat the top two seeds in their conference.

But the Kings aren't the only NHL team to surprise in the playoffs. There have been plenty of Cinderellas before them. These teams might not have all won the Cup, but it was their journey through the playoffs we remember the most. Through tough battles and sweeps, these 10 teams overcame the odds and made themselves a threat to win the Cup. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Vancouver Canuck...In 1982, the Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time, despite having a losing record in the regular season. Sweeping the Calgary Flames and then beating the L.A. Kings and Chicago Blackhawks each in five games, the Canucks found themselves against the two-time defending champion N.Y. Islanders. Winning it all was a bit too much to ask. The Canucks were swept in the finals.

In 1994, the seventh-seeded Canucks upset the Calgary Flames, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit. They then stunned the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs in five games each. Facing the Rangers in the Finals, the Canucks rallied from a 3-1 deficit came up short in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.(AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

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Minnesota North ...Even with a losing regular season record and finishing with the 16th-most points in the NHL (68), the North Stars managed to make it to the Cup Finals. Defeating two of the NHL's best, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues, in six games, they made their way to the finals by defeating the defending champion Edmonton Oilers in five. However, the North Stars were no match for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Mario Lemieux. Putting up a good fight, the Stars bowed out of the series after a crushing Game 6 defeat. (AP Photo/Fred Jewell)

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New Jersey Devil...In 1995, the New Jersey Devils were seeded fifth in the Eastern Conference. Lacking home ice advantage for any round, the Devils managed to upset both the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins in five games. In the Eastern Finals, they met the rival Flyers and were able to defeat them in six games. During the Stanley Cup Finals, they were too much for the heavily-favored Detroit Red Wings. The Devils swept the Red Wings and won their first ever Stanley Cup championship. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Florida Panthers...In their third season in the NHL, the Panthers spent most of the season in first place in the Eastern Conference. Despite a late-season collapse, they still managed to earn the fourth seed in the East. Universally predicted to lose their first ever playoff series, the Panthers surprised everyone by beating the Bruins. They then knocked off the favored Philadelphia Flyers in six and Pittsburgh Penguins in seven. The Colorado Avalanche put an end to the Panthers magic by sweeping them in four straight games. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

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Carolina Hurrica...Having the second-lowest point total of the East's playoff teams with 91, the Hurricanes won their division and were a No. 3 seed. They managed to overcome the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs — all in six games — to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time. There the Hurricanes lost to the Detroit Red Wings in five games. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

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Mighty Ducks of ...The Mighty Ducks entered the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the West and surprised many with a sweep of the defending champion Detroit Red Wings in the first round. Following that series, the Ducks defeated the top-seeded Dallas Stars in six and swept the Minnesota Wild to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the finals, the Ducks pushed the New Jersey Devils to seven games, but fell just short. Both teams had won all their home games, which gave the Devils a distinct advantage going into Game 7 in New Jersey. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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Edmonton Oilers ...The Oilers entered the Playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Upsetting the Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks — each in six — they defeated the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in five to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. In the Finals, the Oilers rallied from a 3-1 deficit against the Carolina Hurricanes to tie the series. But it wasn’t enough. The Hurricanes won Game 7. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Montreal Canadie...The odds were stacked high against the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens, especially when taking on the top team in the NHL – the Washington Capitals. The odds became even greater when the Habs entered Game 5 facing a 3-1 series deficit. But behind the goaltending of Jaroslav Halak, the Canadiens won three straight and the series. Down 3-2 in the second round of playoffs, the Canadiens rallied to defeat No. 4 Pittsburgh. The Habs' run ended when they faced the other Eastern Conference underdog, the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers won in five games. (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

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Philadelphia Fly...Plagued by injuries and inconsistency, the Flyers only made the playoffs by winning a shootout against the Rangers in the final game of the regular season. With the East's No. 7 seed, the Flyers upset the Devils in five games in the first round. In the second round, they became the third team in NHL history to win a series trailing 3-0, rallying to beat the Boston Bruins. The Eastern Conference Finals had them facing off with the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens, who had a Cinderella run themselves, and the Flyers took them in five. However, they fell short in the finals, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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